7 Hours
by thisisbrittana
Summary: Santana finds out that Brittany plans on living life to the fullest before the world ends. One-shot. (Just a tiny appearance of Bram)


A/N: This is my first fic, just a little one-shot stream of consciousness that came in the wake of hearing all the Brittany/Sam spoilers for upcoming episodes. This is how I would want Santana to deal with it.

It's December 20th. Finals week is just about over. I'm holed up in my dorm room, trying to focus on this history paper that's supposed to be about the Crusades or the plague. I don't know. I stopped caring once I realized I could pass the class while getting just a C- on it. So what's the point? That seems to be my response to most things nowadays. Why eat, why sleep, why leave this room now that cheer is on break for winter? Britt hasn't responded to me much lately. I call her every morning at 7:04 when I know she is eating her Lucky Charms at the breakfast table. She's only answered once in the last week. All she said was, "I'm really tired today San, can I call you after school?" She didn't call back. I know that it's my own fault. I know I pushed her away. I know I made a mistake.

I decide to call it quits on this paper, and I log onto Facebook. We haven't changed our relationship status. I hadn't realized it until now. I click on her profile. Her last status update – "worlds ending in 2 days. Living to the fullest."

This is it; this is what can get us back together. She's the most important person in my life, and me hers. I start brainstorming ideas for how to spend the "end of times" with her. She must be planning something fun for us. Maybe we'll just spend all day holed up in her room listening to our playlist, eating junk food, and we can just be with each other. We can forget about the awful state of our relationship and the mistake I made in letting her go. And maybe once she realizes the world will still be there on December 22, she'll take me back. I grab my phone and wait for her to call.

2 hours later.

Nothing. No text, no call. I'm being paranoid, she's probably still planning. I should finish up this dumb paper and start packing some things up to take back home for the winter break. If I can hand in the paper first thing when my Professor's office is open, and drive a swift 72 mph on the way home, I can be in Lima by dinner. I'll stop by my house to say a quick hello to mi familia, make Britt's favorite meal- fluffernutters with banana- and surprise her.

4 hours later.

I'm lying in bed. Holding my phone in one hand, I scroll through the long thread of my texts with Britt. It's like watching a movie in fast-forward. How her texts transformed from ending with "Ur so adorable, San" to "Luv you xoxoxoooooo", and then "I love you so much". As I reach the end of the texts and see the last once she sent days ago, my chest aches. All it says is "g2g, dinner, bye". I can't let this happen to us. Even if we aren't going to be together right now, I can't let the love disappear from our any part of our lives. Even if we are just friends. Stop, Santana. Don't think about that. She's going to call any minute now and ask to spend the rest of our lives together. Even if she only means the next 2 days, I'll mean forever. As my eyes start to feel droopy, I put my phone down next to me and hope for it to chime.

Next morning.

I'm awoken by my phone going off and in my semi-conscious state; I reach for it quickly not realizing it's just my alarm. As the disappoint sinks in I check if there are any new messages. There aren't. I let out a sigh as my heads hits the pillow. I debate just staying in bed hoping that she'll call at some point. But I can't just wait, I need to be proactive. I whip the sheets aside and hop out of bed. I quickly change into some jeans and a sweatshirt. I throw the rest of my clothes into my duffle. As I continue to pack away my belongings I decide to check Facebook one last time before shutting down my laptop. I hit the browser icon and it immediately takes me to her page. She's always been my home page. Underneath her last status update about the apocalypse, I see 7 likes. Mostly the new kids from the glee club. I'm glad she has been able to make some new friends. Then I see a comment. From Sam Evans. It says "I can't believe it's almost over. It was great while it lasted ;)". I narrow my eyes. Is that a freaking winky face? No, he can't actually be flirting with her right? There's no way he would do that to me. And she would have told me if there were actually…..No. No, he's just being nice. I power down my computer and stuff it away in a bag. After making 2 trips to my car to pack the stuff I need to take home, I take one last look at my dorm room. I see what is left behind. It's the picture on my desk of the two of us after winning nationals. It was in the hotel room in Chicago, she had just taken the pins out of my hair and was tousling it with both hands. I hold her arms at her elbows as we stare into each other's eyes. Quinn had taken it when we weren't looking. I grab the frame, take out my keys, and lock the door behind me.

2 hours later.

As I'm driving up the highway, my phone sits next to me in the cup holder. I can't get my mind off of it. My mind starts playing games with me. "She'll call in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…" Nothing. "Oh, she'll call in 10, 9, 8..." Stop thinking about it. I turn on the radio and scroll through the presets to take my mind off it. "…rise above. Can I sail through the changing ocean tides…" I smile to myself at the coincidence. I want to take it as a sign. Then my phone chimes. I get so excited I nearly dump my car into the trench along the road. I make a concerted effort to not check it until I can pull off into a rest area. If I got into an accident Quinn would actually kill me. I see a sign ahead, "Next rest stop: 3 miles". Yes! I step on the pedal a little harder and anxiously await the text.

The second I put the car in park, I swipe the screen to unlock it. There's one new message from...Artie? What? Why would he be texting me? Maybe he's having a Christmas party and is inviting all the old glee clubbers too. I open the text. "Sorry, Santana" As I am puzzled, I try to think what the hell this means. Is he apologizing for dating Brittany 2 years ago? Why does he need to apologize to me? The rumbling of my stomach distracts me so I decide to hit up one of the vending machines outside the bathrooms. I hit the button for a diet coke and my eyes see a group of candy machines for children. Skittles, jawbreakers, and a toy machine that sells little plastic junk for 50 cents. I remember how Britt and I used to love piling all of our change together to splurge on the candy. I take a closer look at the machine and see this one sells plastic jewelry. Plastic rings. The light bulb goes off, I'll propose to Brittany on our "last night" together with one of these rings. She'll see how serious I am about us. It doesn't matter if I know the world won't end because I do what to spend the rest of my life with her. I'll propose and we'll spend the night reconnecting, and tomorrow morning we'll wake up to a new day. She'll see that I'm still there, the world is still there, and that we have a second chance. I won't let her go again. I'll drop out of school and make a new plan. Go to community college in Lima and transfer somewhere else next fall where we can be together. I reach into my purse for two quarters and hope that the best looking ring comes out of the machine. The first one is too small so I try again. 12 quarters later, I've got one I think she'll like. If she says yes, I'm going directly to a real jeweler the next day and get her a ring that isn't plastic; one she truly deserves. I hop back into my car with a renewed spirit and continue the drive back home. I'm so giddy that I forget about the strange text I had received just minutes earlier.

I'm almost in Lima, just a few more exits to go when my phone goes off again. This time it's a text from Tina. What is going on? The only time me and Tina ever texted each other was when we wrote "Trouty Mouth". It reads "How are you doing?" First Artie tells me he's sorry, and now Tina asks how I am? I decide to send a quick text to both of them, "What?". I finally reach Lima and pull into my parent's driveway. I see my mom through bay window and she jumps up and runs to the door.

"Santana! We thought you wouldn't be home until Tuesday?"

"I know, mami. But I finished my paper early and decided to come home." I give her a big hug and start unloading my car.

"How are you doing? I know the last time you were here things weren't so great with Brittany. Have you talked to her since?"

"Not really. We haven't talked on the phone in a week and when we do talk it's mostly just pleasantries."

"I'm sorry. I know you'll find your way back to each other soon. She loves you so much. Just wait it out and make sure that girl gets her diploma. Then you can go off and get married and give me lots of grandbabies!"

"Well, that's kind of my plan" I smile and head into the kitchen. I start fixing the food to take over to Brittany. Mom sits down across the table. I start to get nervous about going to see Brittany and my hand with the knife in it starts shaking a bit.

"Why so nervous?"

I set down the knife and look up at my mom. "Britt, well, she thinks the apocalypse is real and the world is going to end tonight. I've been expecting her to call me all day."

"Maybe she just wants to spend it with her family and doesn't want to bother you. She thinks you're still at school"

"I'm just going to head over to Britt's to surprise her."

"Ok, mija. Good luck." She gives me a big hug. "Just tell her how much she means to you. Everything will be alright"

I get in the driver's seat and check my phone. 2 replies from Artie and Tina.

-From Tina: Oh, nothing. Sorry, that was supposed to be for someone else.

-From Artie: Have you talked to Brittany?

I decide to call Artie and see what is going on.

"Hey Santana"

"What's going on, why is everyone being weird and texting me? Did something happen? Is Britt okay?" I start to panic and imagine the worst case scenario.

"No, no, she's fine, Santana. So you haven't spoken to her recently then?

"Not in a week or so. Why?"

"Nothing. I just texted because - um - I wanted to apologize for you know...dating Brittany when I knew you loved her."

"Love. I love her."

"Right. Well, I'll let you go then."

"Bye, Artie". I put the phone down and shake my head. Still doesn't explain Tina...

I turn the corner and pull up to Brittany's house. I park on the street, button up my coat, and step up to her door. As I bring my hand up to press the doorbell I look through the window. Everything turns ice cold. I feel my vision start to go fuzzy and I drop the bag in my right hand. She sits there on the couch with her hand on Sam's knee. I can't breathe and I start to panic. It all makes sense now. Why my old glee club friends had texted me. Why Sam made that stupid winky face on Brittany's wall. I have two choices. One, I grab the bag off the floor, turn around and never look back. I go back to parent's house, wait out the holiday with excuses to avoid all my friends, go back to Louisville, finish spring semester while applying to schools in NYC. Do my best to survive each day without her. That's the first option, but I know it's really no option at all. It's an impossibility. I know I can't live without her. So I'm left with the second option. Ring the doorbell. Just do it, Santana. Ring the doorbell, walk inside, and tell Sam to leave. Don't think about it, just do it. As I start to feel less light headed and raise my hand to the bell, my eyes catch hers through the window. She immediately moves her hand off his knee and stands up. As she starts towards me, I panic again and flee. I'm a coward that can't face the biggest mistake of my life. As my feet crunch through the snow I hear the door open.

"San!" I feel tears welling up and I can't bring myself to turn around.

"Why him?" I say as I stop walking, with my back still turned.

"What? Why Sam? I didn't think you'd be mad, you said I could date, and he was only your beard."

"No, why him? With 7 hours left, why him?" She reaches out for my arm. And I can't bring myself to step back no matter how mad I am. "If this is really it, and we have 7 hours left, why didn't you want to be with me?" I can barely get the words out, my throat keeps closing up. The only thing keeping me on my feet is the fact I'm standing in freezing snow. "I know I messed up, and said it was okay for you to see someone. But even if I was on my deathbed and we were both married to other people….I'd want to spend my last moments with you. It's always you, Britt."

"Don't say that."

"What? We loved, love each other. How could you ..."

"No, don't say that. I don't want to picture you marrying someone else."

The weight on my chest lifts. "Me neither, Britt. Why didn't you call me though? When I saw you were planning on 'living life to the fullest' I waited and waited for you to call."

"I wanted to, but I know you had finals and I didn't want to screw that up for you. And I'm sorry that I'm dating Sam."

"Oh, so you're really dating. Like officially?"

"Yes, but he's not you. No one could ever be. I just wanted someone to hang out with and hug me when I'm sad or …I don't know."

"I don't want you to date him." I'm surprised as the words spill out of my mouth.

"I thought you said-"

"Screw what I said. It was a mistake. I don't want to date anybody else and I know you don't either. I thought I did the right thing, but now after seeing you with him, there's nothing right about that, Brittany. It's us." Now's the time, Santana. Just do it.

I kneel down and reach into the bag sitting at my feet, and grab hold of the plastic bubble holding the ring. I don't stand back up. I grab her hand.

"Brittany Pierce. I want to spend forever with you; even if forever is only 7 more hours. Will you marry me?"

"Santana, are you serious?" Her eyes are the size of golf balls, and I can feel her hand start to tremble.

"Yes, I love you and I want us to be married and live together and someday start a family. I can't imagine anything else."

"But there is no apocalypse. It's not real, I know it's not." I smile at her flustering. "So if you're proposing, it's for real, for real."

"I know, I meant it when I said forever."

She lunges at me and knocks me to the ground. "YES!" She starts smothering me with kisses and I melt into the snow. "I missed you so much. I didn't know how to just be your friend anymore. And I'm sorry I stopped calling you and I'm sorry I started dating someone else and -Oh no!"

"What?"

"I have to break up with him right now. I can't get engaged while I'm dating someone. I'll be right back"

As she gets up to end it with Sam, he opens the door. "Hey Santana." He looks a bit sheepish.

Brittany turns to him. "Sam, I'm sorry. I just have to-"

"No, Brittany, It's okay. I kind of watched you through the window. And only one thing can happen when someone is on bended knee and it's followed by a loud 'YES' and kissing." He laughs a bit and I feel more at ease. He understands. He knows just what he was to Brittany these past couple days. He knows he was never the one. "Congratulations. I'm really happy for you two." Britt gives him one last hug and he starts walking home.

"Come on, Britt. I want to go inside. Kneeling in snow isn't fun, and I need to reconnect with my fiancé." She grabs my cheeks and kisses me. I feel her tongue graze my lower lip. I reach my hands around her waist and rub at her lower back. I just about lose it so I grab her hand as we make our way inside and up to her bedroom. We need to make the most of the night, just in case the Mayans were right.


End file.
